Chapter 1 (1/2)
Xixi here, found my laptop a couple days ago, once I finish studying for my chemistry test I’ll get right onto translating
I have exciting news to share, a wonderful reader Tess has decided to pick up one of the novels featured in the Teasers section!!! It will be posted right here on Novittranslations, let’s welcome Tess to our team at Novitranslations!!
so without further ado, here is the first chapter of The Only Starlight
let’s give Tess a huge round of applause for picking up this wonderful story and doing a great job of translating
*clap clap clap*
translator: Tess
Editor: Ocelot
Translation Checker: Xixi
Chapter 1:
The whole cabin was buzzing with the rumor that Zhou Peipei was on the plane.
Jian Wei was sitting on the window side; there was a sea of clouds outside, looking like a large, white, cotton candy. The plane had just entered the stratosphere. Freed from the weight loss of takeoff, the dome light was turned on and the cabin became lively again.
Jian Wei, bathed in the warm yellow light, found herself missing the darkness from before. Touching her face, ah, wearing a mask was good; it gave people a sense of security.
Sitting next to her was a pair of lovers; from their looks they seemed to be college students. The girl had curly hair. While holding her boyfriend's arm she can be heard saying, ”Do you think it's true? Just now before we took off, I was scrolling weibo and Zhou Peipei was indeed photographed at Shuangliu Airport. At the security checkpoint, she was wearing &h.e.l.lip;” the girl suddenly turned around and pointed at Jian Wei and said, ”a skirt just like that.”
Both of them looked over. The girl's eyes fell on Jian Wei's mask as she suddenly had a realization; she looked like she cannot believe that her luck was so good.
Under the mask, Jian Wei swallowed her saliva and threw out the long-prepared reasons: ”Don't tell me you think I am Zhou Peipei? She is such a big star, if she is in this plane, for sure she is sitting in first cla.s.s.”
This was a flight from Chengdu to Beijing. A few hours ago, the current hot actress Zhou Peipei appeared at the security checkpoint. The news was spreading throughout the terminal and it didn't take long for Jian Wei to hear the discussion about Zhou Peipei on the plane.
But everyone seemed to agree with Jian Wei's logic. Even if it was true that Zhou Peipei was on the plane, she would certainly be sitting in front- and definitely not in the economy cla.s.s.
The curly-haired girl also thought that this made sense, but she was not immediately convinced, her eyes still squinting at Jian Wei.
This girl kept her hair short at shoulder-length and she was wearing dark clothes, her rear-end slightly bending. Her fringe touched her eyebrows, and below them was a pair of large and bright eyes. There was a mole at the corner of her left eye, as if it was a finis.h.i.+ng touch on her delicate and white skin. It instantly added some brilliance to the pair of cute eyes.
She was stunned and forgot to react for several seconds.
Seeing that there was a trace of tension on Jian Wei's face, the girl thought that she had scared her, and became embarra.s.sed, ”I am sorry, ah, I am thinking too much. I actually thought that you are Zhou Peipei &h.e.l.lip;”
Jian Wei in a relax tone, deliberately smiled and said, ”Did I get rid of the suspicion?”
The curly-haired girl was embarra.s.sed, ”Ah, after all, Zhou Peipei's eye did not have mole like yours&h.e.l.lip;”
The stewardess was approaching and began to distribute the dinner. The curly-haired girl and her boyfriend ordered fish and pork rice and twice-cooked pork rice, respectively. She turned to Jian Wei when she waved her hand to the stewardess and said, ”No, thank you.”
Because she was wearing a mask, her voice was a little m.u.f.fled. After that thing from before, the curly-haired girl seemed became familiar and asked, ”Why do you wear a mask? If you had exposed your face, I would not have misunderstood you just now.”
Jian Wei : ”My face has an allergic reaction, so I did not want to be seen.”
The curly-haired girl nodded sympathetically, and then turned around to share her food with her boyfriend.
Smelling the aroma of the food, Jian Wei subconsciously touched her stomach. During lunch she had only eaten a little, therefore it has almost been entirely digested. But&h.e.l.lip;. she cannot take off the mask. Just deal with it, the food on the plane was not that delicious anyway.
Jian Wei comforted herself, the mouth under her mask moved uncomfortably, her heart feeling as if she was a scared little hamster.
After the dinner, the curly-haired girl and her boyfriend chatted for a while before she felt bored. She took out her iPad and began to watch a TV drama. The drama was downloaded in advance and it was the most popular palace drama from a few months ago called, 'Dahan Feiyan.' Because she had been busy for the last few months, she had not been able to watch it.
When Jian Wei heard the familiar music, she turned to look, stunned. The screen was showing a gorgeous palace and a lady wearing crimson with long hair as dark as ink, raising her eyebrows while smiling at the king.
So beautiful, just like the blossoming flowers in Weiyang Palace.
The curly-haired girl said: ”Zhou Peipei is really beautiful. This super good- looking girl, playing the role of a pampered crown-princess Zhao Feiyan, is very convincing ah!”
During the broadcast of 'Dahan Feiyan', not only did it set a high ratings record, it also attracted a lot of online discussions, thus becoming the top drama of the year. As the lead actress of the drama, Zhou Peipei experienced overnight fame. The media reported that her popularity had exploded, but Jian Wei felt it wasn't accurate; it should be 'big explosion'!
The curly-haired girl: ”Have you seen this drama? Don't give me spoilers. Everyone around me had seen it. I've been anxious every day that they will give me spoilers.”
Jian Wei: ”Oh, don't worry. I haven't seen the drama.”
The curly-haired girl was surprised, ”You haven't seen it?” She thought that everyone in the whole country had watched the drama.
'Dahan Feiyan' was not a drama with a strict textual criticism. Plainly said, it was an idol drama set in ancient times, but since the cast had high value – added with the conflicts in the plot from time to time – it attracted the attention of a lot of people.
In this particular episode Zhou Peipei, who played the character Zhao Feiyan, was kidnapped from the palace and was replaced by a woman who looked exactly like her. Everyone – including the emperor – was deceived by the woman who was actually called Zhao Zhao Yi.
Zhou Peipei was playing two roles and the interpretation was very reasonable, in that the difference of the demeanor between the two characters can be seen.
The curly-haired girl said ”Every time I watch this drama I wonder, in this world, are there really doppelgangers? Zhao He De is actually Zhao Feiyan's biological sister but she didn't look like her, yet this girl who she didn't even know had the same face as her. I strongly recommended them to go for DNA test.”
Actually, watching drama with this kind of person was very interesting because she had a lot of criticisms, but Jian Wei didn't feel like laughing at all.
She touched her forehead and found that she was unconsciously sweating.
Finis.h.i.+ng the episode, the girl sighed and put away the iPad. ”Ai, nothing interesting to see, really bored. What are you doing in Beijing? Travelling?”
Jian Wei: ”Are you?”
”We are travelling. After this we are seniors, so we're taking advantage of this last summer holiday before graduation!”
”Well, I'm going to work.”
”You are already working? I thought that you and I are almost the same age.”